Improvement in machines for cutting nails



W. A. SWEET.

Making CutNals.

Patented Nov. 3, 1863..V

N. PETERS. Phnlmumngmpmr. wnningfm u4 a :Nrrnn STATES' ,PATENT Ormea.

TILLIAM A. SWEET, OE SYRAOUSE, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,514, dated November 3, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.;

Be it known that I, WM. A. SWEET, of the city of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented a new method of 'making brads and nails, Src., by punching them alternately from strips, bars, or sheets of metal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the aecompanyin g drawings, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a front elevation of a very simple mechanism for forming or punching said articles. Fig. 2 is a partial section and elevation of Fig. l, showing the face ofthe die and the stop or gage that regulates the movement of the strips to be cut or punched. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a face and edge view of a strip or bar from which headless brads or nailblanks may be formed by divisions, as shown. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 all represent modifications of the same principle, showing the various forms of brads, nails, and spikes that may be produced by simply varyir g the form of the die and punch.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the drawings or figures of reference.

Upon any suitable base, as at A, Fig. l, a support, B, is placed, upon which the punching apparatus, consisting of a die, C, punch l), and guides E and F, for conducting the strips or bars, are all arranged and supported. The die G is made of any suitable materialsuch as steel-that will resist the action of the metal to be Worked, and it is of the exact form of the articles required, samples of which are shown at S in Figs. 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8; but in the working or complete machines We prefer to form this die of two bits 7 or cutters, made adjustable by screws or keys, and so arranged that their ends next to the punch form neat cutting-edges, and are capable of adjustment to the various sizes of the punches required. The ends of these bits are so beveled, relatively to their sides, that, in combination with a corresponding punch working between them, a neat or clean cut is made in contradistinction to that of forcing a mass through an opening, as in the ordinary die. The punch D is made of similar material an d corresponds in formexactly with the die. It is held in proper workin g position by guides, or their equivalent, as shown at g g, Fig. l, and operated by any mechanism that will give it a backward and forward motion, as at L, Fig. l, where a right-angle lever is used for simplicity and convenience. At the face of the die is a stop or device, m, made adjustable, which determines the distance to which the strips or bars shall traverse the face of the die in being worked, said strips being conducted between suitable guides or bearings, as at E and F, either or both of which may be made adjustable to suit the variable thickness of the strips or bars. It is evident that these devices may be greatly varied in their construction, but in this very simple form they present all the mechanical elements-such as a die, a punch, and guide for the materialnecessary to perform the functions of my invention.

The operation will, of course, be readily un derstood, but I will simply remark that the strips or material to be worked are placed between the guides E and F, and thereby conducted past theface of the die sufficiently far to furnish a piece, after it is severed by the punch, of sufficient size to form a brad or nail, &c., equal to the one made by the punch through the die, and thus at one motion of the punch two articles of similar quality and character are produced, thereby doubling the capacity of the machine without increasing its velocity. It is also obvious that by permitting or causing the nail-plate to traverse the face of the die or cutters to the distance of a blank or nail in width, beyond both cutters or edges of the die, a very firm bearing on both sides of the cut is secured, thereby effectually preventing any lateral strain upon the cutters or punch, and, so far as experiments have been made, the principle is clearly demonstrated that the cutting-edges, both of the punch and die, will perform more work than when such cuts are made `With a bearing on only one side 5 but one of the most important advantages furnished by my process'is that of avoiding the necessity of turning the nail plate or bar, and. thus also avoiding the necessity of mechanism for that purpose.

I am aware that many devices have vbeen suggested, both for turning the plate and for shifting it to and fro 7 without being turned; but they all involve additional machinery, Whereas by my process, where each alternate piece is punched through the plate or bar, no additional mechanism is required, but the necessity of it is entirely removed.

Having thus described my invention, and some of its advantages, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The formation of two nail-blanks, brads, or spikes, substantially identical in form and dimensions, by one operation of a punch Working in combination with a corresponding double-cutting die, whereby also the turning of the nail plate or bar is completely avoided.

WM. A. SWEET.

Witnesses:

JAs. H. MASON, BOYD ELLIOTT. 

